“The United States will FOREVER have the complete ability to do what is necessary in Greenland.” Donald Trump posted that on Friday, September 18, 2026, announcing a deal with Denmark and Greenland that he said gives Washington “permanent control over security, and all other needs” on the island. He said the arrangement would cost the United States nothing and that work on “a large Military presence” would begin at once.
Unlike Trump’s earlier claims about the territory, this one did not go unanswered. Late that night the US, Denmark and Greenland all said they had reached an agreement. Denmark and Greenland then issued a statement saying it would not compromise Greenland’s sovereignty. The text has not been published, and the deal still has to clear parliamentary procedures once it is signed, which was expected during the UN General Assembly the following week.
What Trump says is in it
Trump said that from now on no US adversary can have a base or military presence in Greenland, or make sensitive investments there, without Washington’s written approval. An unnamed State Department official told the BBC the deal grants permanent access, basing and overflight rights, lets the US build additional military structures without approval from Greenland or Denmark, and would not lapse even if Greenland became independent. The official named Russia and China as the countries the investment ban targets.
Foreign Policy noted that rare-earth stocks linked to Greenland surged the following Monday, but cautioned that the harsh climate, thin mining infrastructure and local opposition could slow any quick deals.
What Copenhagen and Nuuk say
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement “strengthens our common security in the Arctic and the North Atlantic area”. Greenland’s prime minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said it recognises his territory’s sovereignty and the Greenlandic people’s right to self-determination. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen struck a more measured tone. He told TV2 that, to a large extent, NATO would be the one looking after the Arctic. That gap between Washington’s framing and Copenhagen’s is likely to feature at the General Assembly, Foreign Policy said.
Doubts remain. Naaja Nathanielsen, a Greenlandic MP, called it news “we have all been hoping for” but said any agreement must preserve self-determination. Former politician Aaja Chemnitz said she was sceptical: “I don’t have much confidence in Trump.”
Old rights, new label?
The United States has operated a base on the island since a 1951 defence treaty with Denmark, and it still keeps a reduced presence at Pituffik Space Base, formerly Thule. Without the text, the BBC and Foreign Policy both said it is unclear how far the deal goes beyond rights Washington already holds. Danish papers read it differently from Trump. Berlingske ran the headline “Don’t tell Trump that it’s the Kingdom of Denmark that has won.”
The deal ends months of friction. Trump had threatened in January to “take” Greenland, a standoff that strained NATO, before saying in a Davos speech on January 21 that he would not use force. Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen, a University of Copenhagen professor, told Reuters the agreement is probably not the end of Trump’s ambitions for the island.
Sources
- Trump Announces Security Deal With Denmark and Greenland
- Denmark and Greenland say US military agreement will not compromise Arctic territory's sovereignty | The Guardian
- US and Denmark reach deal over Greenland's security after Trump threats | BBC News
